Police kill attacking dog in Golden Gate Park

Updated 1:16 pm, Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Photo: San Francisco Animal Care

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San Francisco Animal Control officers have taken the second of two dogs involved in an attack last night into custody without incident. The second dog – a large white female pit bull mix named Cleo – was found and leashed by San Francisco Animal Control Officers at a homeless encampment in Golden Gate Park a little after 8:00 AM this morning. The dog is now in custody at San Francisco Animal Care & Control. less

San Francisco Animal Control officers have taken the second of two dogs involved in an attack last night into custody without incident. The second dog – a large white female pit bull mix named Cleo – was ... more

Photo: San Francisco Animal Care

Image 2 of 2

San Francisco Animal Control officers have taken the second of two dogs involved in an attack last night into custody without incident. The second dog – a large white female pit bull mix named Cleo – was found and leashed by San Francisco Animal Control Officers at a homeless encampment in Golden Gate Park a little after 8:00 AM this morning. The dog is now in custody at San Francisco Animal Care & Control. less

San Francisco Animal Control officers have taken the second of two dogs involved in an attack last night into custody without incident. The second dog – a large white female pit bull mix named Cleo – was ... more

Photo: San Francisco Animal Care

Police kill attacking dog in Golden Gate Park

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(01-29) 13:14 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco police shot and killed a dog that was mauling a man in Golden Gate Park, city officials said.

The shooting happened after officers responded to a report of two dogs attacking a man near 25th Avenue and Lincoln Way around 10:40 p.m. Tuesday, police said. An officer shot and killed one of the dogs, which the city's animal control agency identified as a male pit bull mix named Frisco.

The victim, who had been watching the dogs for the owner, was bitten several times and taken to San Francisco General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. A second man who was bitten when he tried to help the man declined medical attention.

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The second dog - a female pit bull mix named Cleo - ran away but was found just after 8 a.m. Wednesday by animal control officers at a homeless encampment in the park. Cleo will be the subject of a vicious-dog hearing, officials said, which could prompt restrictions on the animal or could lead to it being put down.

Rebecca Katz, the head of animal control, said in a statement that it was "unfortunate that these incidents have a negative effect on pit bull adoptions. The breed can make wonderful, loving companions."

The incident was the second in less than a week in which a San Francisco police officer killed an attacking dog. On Saturday morning, an officer with the department's housing unit shot a pit bull mix named Psycho when the dog charged at police on Connecticut Street on Potrero Hill.

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